Report: Explosion in Tripoli kills 3 (Update: 18 dead)

Wouldn’t ya know: Right after the unity government was affirmed by a landslide vote, that “Al-Qaida-inspired group” may have struck again.

Apartheid Preservers reports:

Lebanese security officials say that a bomb has exploded on a busy street in the northern city of Tripoli, killing at least three people and wounding many others.

The officials say the bomb appear to have targeted a military bus in central Nour Square. They say Wednesday’s explosion took place as the streets were full of people heading to work.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

Tripoli has witnessed sectarian clashes in the past weeks that killed and wounded dozens of people.

The city is also close to the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr el-Bared, which witnessed deadly clashes last year between Lebanese troops and members of the al-Qaida-inspired group Fatah Islam. [Source: AP via WireDispatch.com]

Of course to AP, all Lebanese conflicts are simply ”sectarian clashes.”

Update - 3:16amEST: At least 10 dead, mostly Lebanese military.

Update – 3:42: Turkish source reports 16 dead, seven of them soldiers. Irish source reports same.

Update – 4:20: AP and a few others are saying at least 18 dead and 40 wounded.

Update – 5:20: Still 18 dead, 10 of them soldiers, and 40 wounded.

AP, meanwhile, elaborately infers Syrian guilt with no evidence:

[Tripoli] has witnessed sectarian clashes between Sunni fighters and followers of the Alawite sect, an offshoot Shiite sect, in the past weeks that killed and wounded dozens of people. . . .

The explosion also comes as President Michel Suleiman holds a landmark visit to neighboring Syria Wednesday — the first visit by a Lebanese president in about three years.

Ties have deteriorated since Syrian troops withdrew from Lebanon under international pressure in the wake of the Hariri assassination. Hariri’s supporters blame Syria for the killing, while Damascus denies involvement.

Gee, I wonder why AP didn’t think it was necessary to also ask opposition supporters whom they might want to blame.